Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

ALISON - Do you have an old fashioned hardware shop within reach, they usually are a sure source of white household candles,mostly in boxes of 6 or somewhere like Robert Dyas should stock them too. I know Ikea do boxes of candles and Tealights are £2 ish for a bag of 100 if you are anywhere near one. Yours is definately NOT a whinge, most of us would be distracted with the load on your shoulders at the moment. Sending a big HUG just because I can, talk to us in the good and bad times, we've all been there and know just how hard it is to stay afloat at times, so say it to us and feel better.

12 MONTHS - There's never enough giggling in the world, so it's lovely to make you smile, Thank You! Cheers Lyn x.

BessieBooBoo

Dear all

Crikey, you type lots! Hope you are all well and sending virtual (((hugs))) to those having a tough time/poorly. Hope you get better soon...

Just to say that there is now no sound of the above or any er, traces, our visitor hopefully couldn't smell anything worth nibbling through for....

As we are in a semi, I am hoping the UIG has migrated next door, as they have lots of gaps in their outside walls, it may have come through there. OH had already gone round ours filling all and sundry when we had CH 10 years ago.

Had a rotten night's sleep imagining them running over the covers.... bleurgh!

I will change topic now so CWV can stop skim reading....

Wanted to update on my preps so far:

1. Already go camping, so have tent, sleeping bags, mats, air bed, gas cooker n grill, smaller gas 1 ring, and spare gas. Kitchen pots n pans, picnic set of plates etc. Plus gadgets as OH is a Ray Mears fan: folding knife,spoon, fork, flint striker, 2 led head lights for groping our way to campsite toilets at night, wind up radio/torch, led lantern, all packed in garage ready for the next trip.

2. 2 rucksacks with 1st aid kits, blister plasters compulsory, compasses, water bladders, that tool thing which is the size of a credit card, OH has posher multi-tool, spare set of clothes inc. fleeces, pocket size SAS guide for him, and camper one for me, emergency silver blanket & orange bags, whistle each, and something else handy sachet toothbrushes and wipes, sewing kit, all ready to grab.

3. Store cupboard stash just basics: tea, coffee (refill pack as smaller), sugar, dried and uht milk, salt, dry veg packs, dry stuffing, dry custard powder. All these now decanted into old sweet/choc tins from last Xmas or glass storage jars from kitchen.

4. Tin stash with beans, toms, pasta and bean meals, big soups, fruit, condensed milk, salmon, tuna.

5. Small toiletry stash of extra shampoo, soap, toothpaste, floss, ST's, bath stuff, etc. No room for lots of loo roll!

I would prefer to bug in rather than bug out, but feel we could grab camping gear, food, dog & her stuff pretty quick if needed.

Oh, also have an extra freezer which I am topping up with whoopsie bargains, etc. so not paying full price on anything meat/poultry whatever.

We are experimenting with growing our own and have:

Fruit: blackcurrants, gooseberries, rhubard, strawberries, small trees: bramley apple, pear, cherry, plum. Blueberries in pots.

Herbs: rosemary, bay, sage, lavendar, chives, loveage, hyssop, marjoram, thyme, fennel.

Greenhouse: toms, triffid like cucumber, peppers, marigold & basil, to help keep pests off.

Veg plot: a small supply of cabbage/lettuce which the slugs throughly enjoyed this year.:(

Have to say that we also struggled to supply much of anything, although blackcurrants and rhubarb did well.

We recycle and reuse, or compost what we can, have water butts to water the garden (not that we needed to this year!), and are focusing on saving and prepping more, lots to learn from this thread. Please keep up the good work!

Kind wishes from BBB:)

Forgot to say hairy garden twine but no paracord! And horrors, no bottled water either!

Also forgot that we now have multifuel stove as we do have a proper chimney; part exhanged our old gas fire and surround and got it cheaper. Hoping to cook and heat more from that in future....

Finally, forgot to add that I would like to join the survival team (CRAPOLLZ) - skills - OH who would fearlessly whack any uninvited guests including zombies, and amateur food grower, endless supplies of hairy twine....

Caterina

(((Alison Funnell))) That is not a whinge, I am sure I speak for all of us in saying that we are here to support each other and provide a virtual "ear". Of course you need to talk about these things, you have so much to contend with at the moment! Hope that the pressure lets up a bit and that everything that can be resolved gets resolved in a positive way. Take good care of yourself! x

On the matter of prepping: today I did my first proper drive! After taking my refresher lessons I had just gone out with DH near me, for very short drives, up to the allotment and back. Today I OFFERED! to drive my friend to L1dl to do a big shopping, she accepted, so I had to drive all by myself to pick her up, not far mind you but still, my first solo drive in 13 years! Then we drove to the place and back, I parked ok (not in reverse though LOL). Feeling very proud of myself and glad that I have renewed this skill.

[Deleted User]

Wow CATERINA well done you, that's a teriffic achievement, you're a brave and determined lady, hats off to you girl, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Popperwell

ginnyknit wrote: »

Alison, you are right, very few plain and simple candles about, managed to get 1 pack from Mr T at a reasonable price but very few anywhere else.

The_Dragon wrote: »

I get a pack of 6 white household candles from our local shop (happy shopper brand) - could be worth checking your local Open All Hours!

It appears my tealights were from ASDA and candles from Morrisons...

craigywv

great tea-lights to be got in IKEA very cheap cant rem how much though.

SpikyHedgehog

2tonsils wrote: »

Just pretend they are from the council tax department Spikey, that should add some enthusiasm to it LOL

LOL, it will indeed!

meme30 wrote: »

Hello:wave: This thread is about getting yourself, your family and your home organised in case of emergencies. Mostly it's about being snowed in/flooding/no electricity sort of scenarios. Also preparation in case of job losses which is not so unlikely these days.:(
We try to give each other tips about storing extra food/water, cooking facilities, indoor and outdoor and how to make your family safe and comfortable if the SHTF.

There is also the smallest off chance that there may be a few poor souls here who are gearing up for the inevitable zombie attack.:rotfl: [STRIKE]We[/STRIKE]They are a deluded bunch, not often let out of the home as the previous posts about leopard skin cushions/candlesticks/hot water bottles and knitting needles shows. Anybody with any common sense knows that lobbing tin of tomatoes at them is the best defence against zombies.

Come and join in we are a nice bunch really, everyone is welcome. By all means ask questions and pick peoples brains, there are many here coping with different situations so lots of ideas and help if you want it.

But not in a zombie way...

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

I just happened to be on this thread whilst listening to the Radio 4 news and am so gobsmacked at what I've just heard that I'm not sure which thread to put it on..

Apparently the Govt. are blaming allotment holders who grow their own potatoes for causing the potato shortage. It seems we allotment growers are responsible for spreading the same type of blight that caused the Irish Potato Famine. They recommend that everybody buys potatoes from farm shops/supermarkets rather than growing their own.
How does that work then???!!!!!
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at Ca-moron's stupidity...

Just asked DS1 if he was aware of a potato shortage, and when he said yes, what he thought caused it - average teenager thought it was the weather. Just allotment growers? What about all those insidious people who grow potatoes at home then? Quite ridiculous. I'm sure Mr Cameron's comments had nothing to do with tax...

medusasmummy

Re: Candles.
Wilkinson's are good for candles.

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/search?q=*&parentCategoryRef=candleholder&sort=price&order=asc&setpagenum=1&perpage=12

i got a pack of 100 tea lights for £2, and some small pillar candles for £1.50 each. much better value than the pound shops

2tonsils

There must be a worldwide shortage of ordinary plain candles lol when I went to stock up all they had were fancy ones that were coloured, decorated and scented. It's all very well for Christmas etc , but when you have a lot burning for a mid winter electric cut they get a bit overwhelming!

I bought tea lights instead, the cheapest here are 5 euros for a hundred. The nearest Ikea is in Athens so would be a twelve hour drive or one hour flight away from us and they don't deliver here. (The flight is currently only 39 euros one way but the taxes are 130 euros on top of that!!). I would love to shop at Ikea but the prices here are expensive compared to the Ikea prices in the UK. (I had a look online to check them out).

I have given up on ordering anything online for the time being as I can't trust the post to bring me anything. Things are going missing and the postman sometimes turns up and sometimes doesn't. They have closed most of the village post offices and we collect our mail from the boot of the postman's car. I am convinced most of the mail collects on the floor of his car then disappears forever.

Couriers are no better as they bring the stuff to Corfu via Athens on the plane, discover there are no addresses here (all mail goes to the nearest taverna or supermarket or you collect it from the mail car)...and then return it back to sender without notifying you that it ever arrived. I have actually got my money refunded 3 times this year by visa card because of it, but its frustrating not getting the things you want.

Speaking of which, there is someone now bringing orders from Mr T from the UK and its still a lot cheaper to order then and have them brought 2000 miles than it is to buy them here. I don't know whether to order some Christmas things or not. What do you all think? There are campaigns telling you to support Greek suppliers, but when those goods are at rip off prices, what do you do? Do you pay more and support them or do you shop at the cheapest price and get exactly what you want brought from the UK?

greenbee

ab.da54 wrote: »

How do you dispose of them?

I'm sure I read about a man being prosecuted for killing the squirrel he had caught???

That's because he drowned it, which is not considered to be humane. Recommended methods are shooting or hitting them over the head. Neither are easy as apparently they have very tough skulls! I guess the vet would destroy them for you for a fee... If you live in a rural area your local gamekeeper is the best bet. I think Pest control professionals have access to specific poisons for squirrels, but you have to be licensed to use them as they are probably poisonous to other animals